Education Keynote Speaker for Teachers, Administrators, and School Leaders
What if everyone in the room left actually believing their best day ever is still ahead of them?
That’s not a tagline. That’s what happens when Steve Spangler walks on stage.
With more than 6,500 presentations around the world, Steve has built a reputation for something meeting planners don’t take for granted — an audience that’s still talking about it on Monday morning. Not because the show was impressive. Because something shifted.
Teachers who walked in tired walk out with something they can use. Administrators who’ve sat through a hundred keynotes lean forward for this one. Support staff who wondered if the day was even for them realize somewhere in the first twenty minutes that it absolutely is.
Steve doesn’t fill a keynote slot. He sets the tone for everything that follows — the conversations in the hallway, the energy in the room, the belief that what they do every day actually matters.
That’s what a BEST DAY EVER experience is all about.
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Keynote Presentation
Best Day Ever – The Art & Science of Creating Unforgettable Learning Experiences
For educators, support staff, administrators, and leaders at every level
Without warning, something fizzles, pops, or explodes… and suddenly a room full of students is leaning forward, fully engaged, chanting, “Best day ever!”
That moment isn’t luck. It’s designed.
In classrooms everywhere, engagement feels harder to earn. Students may be doing the work, but too often they’re not fully invested in it. When that continues, curiosity fades, confidence drops, and learning becomes something to get through instead of something to experience. Teachers feel it. Students feel it. And over time, everyone stops expecting more.
In this keynote, Steve Spangler shows how to intentionally create those “best day ever” moments and why they matter. The real challenge is not classroom management. It’s designing experiences students want to be part of.
Drawing from the real-world strategies behind his newest book, The Engagement Effect, Steve shares what he’s learned from decades in classrooms, on television, and in front of thousands of live audiences. Engagement does not happen by accident. It is built on purpose. These principles work across grade levels, content areas, and leadership roles — science teachers, early childhood educators, English teachers, administrators, and district leaders all leave with something they can use the very next day.
BEST DAY EVER is not just a reaction. It’s a repeatable approach — one that changes how educators think about their role and the experiences they create every single day.
“Students don’t remember everything you teach. They remember how it felt to be part of the experience you created.”
The Energy Stick Experience
At some point during the keynote, something shifts. The audience stops watching and starts participating.
Using a tool he invented called the Energy Stick, Steve turns the entire room into a living demonstration of what connection actually looks like. When participants join hands and complete the circuit, the stick lights up and the buzzer signals a connection has been made. What starts at one table spreads across the room until everyone is part of it.
That’s not a metaphor. That’s the moment.
For groups who want to send that feeling home with every participant, ask Carly about providing an Energy Stick for each attendee. It’s the most requested add-on Steve offers — and once you hear the feedback from your participants, you’ll understand why.
I cannot say enough about the power of your message and your masterful delivery. Our staff has not stopped talking about your words and presentation since you left. You changed the way we think about creating experiences for our students.
Steven Estepp – Superintendent, Mariemont City Schools
“The feedback on your district-wide keynote has been phenomenal… truly #Best Day Ever. Our educational staff overwhelmingly loved your presentation and engagement strategies. It’s going to be a great year.”
Patricia Gunderson – Superintendent, Lassen County Office of Education
WHAT AUDIENCES SEE
Science meets spectacle — demonstrations that grab the room, pull everyone forward, and won’t let go.
WHAT AUDIENCES HEAR
Real stories from a real teacher. The kind that make you lean in, laugh, and quietly reconsider how you show up on Monday.
HOW AUDIENCES FEEL
A renewed belief that the best day ever isn’t behind them — it’s the one they’re about to create for their students.
Who Should Hear Steve Spangler?
If your audience includes teachers, administrators, support staff, or anyone responsible for what happens in a classroom or a school, this keynote was built for them.
Steve speaks regularly at state and national education conferences, school district back-to-school events, administrator retreats, early childhood conferences, STEM summits, and association meetings at every level. His message lands the same way whether the room is full of kindergarten teachers, high school principals, curriculum directors, or district superintendents.
If you’re looking for a keynote to open your conference, energize your staff, or set the tone for a new school year, Steve Spangler belongs on your short list.
6,500 Presentations and Counting
From the moment Steve Spangler steps on the stage, you know this is not going to be your typical five points and a poem presentation. The demonstrations are unexpected. The stories land. And the room is never quite the same when it’s over.
That’s why the planners who book Steve once almost always book him again.
Best Day Ever is a Great Conference Theme
Some planners don’t just book Steve for a keynote. They build their entire conference around the Best Day Ever message — using it as the throughline that connects every session, every speaker, and every moment from opening to close.
If that sounds like what your event needs, contact our office and we’ll help you make it happen.
Here’s What the Audience Had to Say…
“Steve Spangler just spoke to 1,800 of our conference attendees and he was phenomenal! Our goal was to find a way to get people to connect, share ideas and feel re-energized when they return to the classroom. Steve did all of that and more. Best Day Ever!“
Amy Currence – Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Steve Spangler is high-energy, engaging and effective! From start to finish, Steve is absolutely amazing and one of the greatest people we have had the pleasure to work with. He will definitely make your event “The Best Day Ever”!
Kevin Stewart, Director of Innovative Schools Summits AccuTrain Corp
“Incredible presentation at ScIC 11, but don’t take my word for it. We surveyed the audience and your NPS (Net Promoter Score) was off the charts with an unheard of score of 83. Seriously, that’s insane! Our tribe wants more Steve Spangler.“
David Bakker – ScIC (Science is Cool) Founder – CEO PocketLab
“Amazing content, best practices, and the perfect amount of fun and inspiration. Your keynote was truly the best we’ve ever seen!”
-Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children
“The audience didn’t know what hit them. Laughter, tears and deep insights that can only come from a real teacher. Your message was exactly what we needed to hear. Best Day Ever!“
Battelle Education SUMMIT
“Steve’s keynote presentation at Space Symposium’s Teacher Liaison breakfast was the inspirational roller coaster that kept every educator invigorated and equipped for the adventure of teaching and kept them cheering all the way. His presentation brought the entire room to tears, followed by raucous laughter. Best of all, his kindness and professionalism made him a delight to work with, and his passion and enthusiasm emboldened educators to create the “best day ever” experiences for their students.”
Courtney Black – Education Project Manager, International Space Station National Laboratory
I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Steve speak once before, but Saturday just hit a little different for me. There was a moment that I started crying because seeing the look on our participants’ faces… I realized that WE created this amazing experience together. Steve helped me rediscover my passion. Thank you for working with us and making sure we had “The Best Day Ever”!
Angela Cuellar – Director, Lake County Office of Education
About Steve Spangler
Steve Spangler is a two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality, a bestselling author of nine books, and a STEM Educator in Residence at High Point University. He was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
For more than thirty years, Steve has worked as a classroom teacher, a science communicator, and a professional speaker in front of audiences ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands. With over 2,100 television appearances — including 27 trips to The Ellen DeGeneres Show — and more than 4.5 billion video views, his reach is difficult to overstate. In 2025, Global Gurus named his program the #1 Best Program in the World for Education.
The people who hire Steve aren’t taking a chance. They already know what the room is going to say.
Meeting Planner Information
He’s a bestselling author, STEM educator, and television host who has spent thirty years turning science into something nobody wants to miss.
He’s the guy behind YouTube’s first viral science video — the one that taught the world what happens when you drop Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke. His videos have since generated more than 4.5 billion views across social media. That’s billion. With a “b.”
His books and experiments have become go-to resources for parents and educators worldwide — the kind of stuff that makes kids actually want to know what happens next.
If you’ve seen the enormous mess he repeatedly made on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you already know why Ellen calls Steve the science teacher you always wanted — because the fire department shows up twice a year.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Steve Spangler.
Please review these guidelines before Steve arrives. They make a real difference in what the audience experiences.
Microphone
A wireless lavaliere (clip-on lapel) microphone is preferred. If your AV team uses a Countryman-style microphone, Steve prefers a dual ear headset that wraps around both ears for stability during demonstrations.
No Podium
Steve does not use a podium. If other speakers require one, please position it to the far left or far right so the center stage area stays open.
Stage Lighting
The stage should be brightly and evenly lit. Most of the action happens center stage, so focus lighting there.
Projector and Screen
Steve uses PowerPoint slides and short video clips throughout the presentation. Please configure the projection system for 16:9 widescreen display.
Computer Table on Stage
Steve runs his laptop from the stage — not from an AV table in the back of the room. Please provide a small table on one side of the stage with an HDMI cable and a standard audio cable (headphone jack) run directly to it.
Slide Clicker
Steve travels with his own presentation remote (Perfect Cue) and will test it during sound check for frequency conflicts.
Important — Presentation Computer
Due to copyright restrictions, Steve must use his own laptop. Slides and videos cannot be transferred to a house computer in advance. If another presenter is using the projection system before Steve, please arrange for a video switcher so the transition between computers is seamless.
There is no single factor that influences a presentation more than how the room is set up. Steve and his team are happy to help you finalize a layout that works.
Set-up Time
Steve needs at least 30 minutes before the audience arrives to set his materials and demonstrations. A member of his team will be on hand to help distribute materials if the session includes a hands-on activity. Details will be confirmed after booking.
Audience Seating
Keep the first row as close to the stage as possible. There’s a reason speakers call it Death Valley — the bigger the gap between the stage and the front row, the harder the room is to work. Get Steve close to the audience.
Stage / Riser
For audiences up to 200, a riser of 6 to 12 inches works well. For larger groups, 12 to 24 inches. If the audience can’t see the demonstrations, nothing else matters.
Room Layout
A wide room is always better than a long one. In a rectangular space, place the stage along the middle of the long wall so the audience is evenly split left and right.
Stage Lighting
Steve needs a standard folding table on stage for props and demonstrations — draped to look clean. He’ll also need a high-top table for one specific demonstration. A tall waiter stand works if a high-top isn’t available.
No Podium
Steve will not use a podium during any part of the presentation. If other speakers are using a podium, please position it on either the right or left side of the stage.
Tables on Stage
Please have a standard folding table (2×6) or something a little smaller on stage for Steve to set his props and demonstrations. Drape the table to make the stage look great. He will also need a hightop table (see below) for a specific demonstration. A tall waiter stand can be used in place of the highboy cocktail-style table, if necessary.
